Mowing-machine.



H. L. HOPKINS.

I MOWING MACHINE. APPLICATION rnnn nov. 20, 1913.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO-. PHOTD'LITHQ, WASHINGTON, Dv 'C.

H. L. HOPKINS.

v mowme MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1913. 1,121,836.

Pat e'nfiedDec. 22, 1914;

4 SHEETS-$111131 2.

HE NORRIS PETERS CO4, FHOTU-LITHQ. WASHINGTDN. D, C.

H. L. HOPKINS.

MOWING MACHINE. APPLIGYAICAION FILED 110v. 20, 1913.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 I ll I! mm m WM m L APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. 1913.

Patented Dec; 22, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

'tijei'l E% PATT IFFFTQE.

HARVEY L. HOPKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 ABLOA. B.

GLADE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOWING-MACHINE.

menses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

Application filed November 20, 1913. Serial No. 802,089.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, HARVEY L. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in hiowing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention is concerned with mowing machines, and is designed especially to produce a machine having so light and perfectly balanced a draft that a longer cutterbar than is customarily employed may be used with the machine, and still leave the draft light enough so that a single team can readily pull the machine through any cutting that may be met with in actual practice.

To this end, I have devised certain novel connections between the frame, the fingerbar, and doubletrees, so that any desired portion of the weight of the cutting apparatus may be transferred to the driving wheels, thereby increasing the traction of said wheels and decreasing the pressure or weight of the cutting apparatus on the ground, thus reducing the draft.

To illustrate my invention, 1 annex hereto four sheets of drawings, in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures, of which,-

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the righthand side of the machine, with the cutterbar broken off and the tongue partially broken out to show the connections beneath it; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of so much of the machine as is seen in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine as seen with the right-hand wheel removed; Fig. 4 is a vertical section as seen on the line A-A of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a detail as seen on the line B-B of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows associated with said section line.

The main frame of the machine is journaled on the axle 10, which has supporting wheels 11 and 12 journaled thereon, with the customary ratchet connections which compel the shaft to rotate with the wheels as the machine is drawn forward, but which permit of the wheels turning backward on the shaft, as is necessary in backing and turning corners. The main frame has hearing sleeves 13, 14 and 15 for the shaft 10, and between the sleeves 14 and 15 rise supporting ears 16 and 17, between which is pivoted by a bolt 18 a bracket 19 in which the tongue 20 is secured. The seat 21 is secured on a spring bar 22, which is secured at its lower end to the tongue by a bolt 28. W hen the weight of the driver is suflicient, the bar 22 is flexed to come in contact with a lug 24 projecting upward from the bracket 19. To utilize the weight of the driver in overcoming the upward thrust of the gearing on the main frame, I provide a sleeve 25 projecting downward from the bracket 19 and containing a helically-coiled expanding spring 26, the lower end of which engages a plunger 27, the lower end of which engages a'bearing surface 28 projecting from the rear of the main frame so that the weight ofthe driver is yieldingly transmitted to the rear of the main frame and tends to overcome the upward thrust of the gearing. The wheel 12 has secured thereon the spurgear-wheel 29, which meshes with the customary spur-gear-pinion (not shown) se cured on the end of a countershaft 30 which is journaled in bearing sleeves 31 and 32 forming a part of the main frame. The customary clutch mechanism, inclosed in the cylindrical portion 33 of the gear casing 84 pivoted to the main frame at 35, is operated by the clutch-shifting lever 86 in the customary manner to throw the countershaft 30 into and out of engagement with the customary bevel-gear wheel 37, which meshes with the customary bevel pinion 38 secured on the end of the customary pitman-shaft 39, which is journaled in a bearing sleeve 40 project ing downward and forward from the main frame and supported by webs 41 and 42 eX- tending from said sleeve back to the bearing sleeves for the main shaft 10. This pitmanshaft 39 carries the customary crank-head 43 having the crank-pin 44 on which one end of the pitman 45 is mounted, the other end of which is connected by the customary ball-and-socket joint 46 with the cutter-bar 47, which reciprocates in the customary finger-bar 48 in the customary manner.

The bearing sleeve 40 has formed thereon a bracket 49, which has secured in the upper end thereof a pin 50 which extends into the segmental slot 51 formed in the bracket 52, which is pivoted at 53 to the aforesaid bracket 49. The bracket 52 has a pair of cars 54 and 55, between which is pivoted, by a bolt 56, a cylindrical bearing-sleeve 57 which is pivotally connected by a bolt 58 with a yoke 59 formed on the upper end of the finger-bar supporting arm 60.

The connections just described between the bracket 49 and the finger-bar supporting arm produce a universal joint which permits the linger-bar-supporting arm to swing in a vertical plane on the pivot 58 and in a horizontal plane on the bolt 56, while the finger-bar-supporting arm can be tilted as a whole to vary the angle of the shoe 61 secured on its lower end relative to the ground over which the machine is traveling.

Projecting to the right from the forward portion of the body of the bracket 19 is a foot-rest 62 which has a bearing stud 63 formed on its outer end, and mounted on this hearing stud is a hand lever 64 which is normally held by a helically-coiled expanding spring 65 secured between the hub of said hand lever and the Washer 66 in engagement with one of three notches 67 formed in the periphery of a sheave 68 journaled on the bearing stud 63. A dog 69 pivoted on a lug 70 projecting up from the foot-rest 62 engages detent teeth (not shown herein, but disclosed in my aforesaid prior Patent No. 307,9t8) on the adjacent side of the sheave ($8 and holds said sheave in any position to which it may be advanced by the lifting lever 6 1 until the dog 69 is tripped by pressing the foot on the footrest 62 against the tail 71 of said dog. A. chain 7:2 is secured at one end to the periphcry of the sheave 68, and its other end is connected to an car 73 projecting upward from the finger-bar-supporting arm (30, so that by swinging the lever Get, the chain 7 2 can be wound up on the sheave 08. As it is necessary to swing said sheave through 270 or more to raise the finger-bar 18 to the height that is desired when the machine is being transported from one place to another, or in passing through gates, the arrangement shown by which the lifting lever 64 can be swung several times through an arc of 90 to rotate the sheave (58 through several times as many degrees is employed.

The general construction thus far de scribed is shown, except in the specific de tails of the pivotal connections between the sleeve 10 and the finger-bar supporting arm (50, in my prior Patent No. 307,918, and 1 will now proceed to describe the novel connections with wnich my present invention is concerned.

Suspended from the tongue 29 by a chain 74: attached to the pin of a clevis 75 is the d'oubletree 7 6 carrying the customary swingletrees 77 to which the team is hitched. lhe clevis 75 is formed integral with or rigidly secured to the draft-bar 78, which is preferably bent as shown, and is secured by the pin 79 of the clevis 80 to a short link 81, the other end of which is pivoted on a pin 82 mounted in suitable hearings on the top of the cutter-bar supporting arm 60. This pin 82 is substantially in horizontal alinement with the pin 53 on which the cutter-bar supporting linger is ultimately pivoted, so that the draft applied to this pin does not tend to tilt the cutter-bar. Attached to the clevis 80 is a chain 83 extending rearward to and connected by the clevis 1 with a downwardly projecting arm 85 formed integral with or rigidly secured to the under side of the main frame. A helically-coiled contractile spring 89 has one end connected to the clevis 80, while its other end is secured in the desired one of the notches 90 formed in the outer end of lever 91 which is pivoted at 92 to a bracket 93 extending rearwardly from the main frame and tern'iinating at a point in alinement with, but considerably below, the countershaft 30. This lever 91 has pivoted thereon a link 94, which is pivoted at 95 to a lever 96 of the third class, which lever has its fulcrum formed by the short rock shaft 86, to which shaft said lever is pinned, and which is journaled in the bearings 87 and 88 projecting downward from the main frame directly beneath the bearing 15. Thelever 96 curves downwardly and outwardly, and its widened and concaved end 97 engages the under side of a thrust bar 98 toward its forward end. This thrust bar 98 has its rear end connected by a ball-and-socket joint with a bearing bracket 99 secured on the main frame at the right-hand end thereof and directly beneath the axle 10.'

The forward end of this thrust bar 98 is pivoted between the ears 100 formed on the shoe 61 near the point where said shoe merges into the cutter-bar supporting arm 60. The chain 83 normally hangs loose, as seen in Fig. 3, but as soon as the draft is applied, the bar 78 is drawn forward to the dotted-line position, rocking over the link 81 to an extent that varies with the resistance to the movement of the machine. Grdinarily the chain 83 does not have all the slack taken up, in which case the tension of the draft applied to the bar 78 is transmitted through the spring 89 to the lever 91, which, through the link 9 1 acting on the lever 96, tends to raise the forward end of said lever, which forward end acting on the tnrust bar 98 tends to raise the shoe 61 sul'liciently so that it slides over the ground freely and offers little resistance. The cutter bar d8 being rigidly secured to the shoe (-1, is also affected by this raising action, and is also drawn over the ground with little resistance or friction thereon.

The clevis 7 5 has connected thereto a helically-coiled contractile spring 101, which is connected at its inner end to a link 109;, which link is connected at its inner end to the ear 73, to which the chain 72 is connected, and these connections between the shoe and the doubletree also serve to yieldingly lift the shoe 61 and assist in securing the desired freedom of movement over the ground. 1 have heretofore stated, under ordinary conditions of draft the chain 83 is not drawn taut, but in case of extreme resisiance the spring 89 is stretched sufliciently so that the chain 83 is drawn taut, in which case all the surplus draft is applied directly to the arm 85, which, being rigid with the main frame, tends to rotate the latter on the axle 10 in c irect opposition to the tendency of the gearing (increased in difficult cutting) to thrust down the forward end of the main frame, and thus increase the friction f the cutter-bar and attached shoe on the ground.

In raising the outer end of the cutter-bar so as to swing it far enough toward a vertical position to pass through gates, it is necessary to confine the upward movement caused by the lifting action of the chain 72 to the shoe 60 and the attached cutter-bar 18, instead. of lifting the frame, and for this purpose, 1 form on the main frame an upwardly extending stud 103, and opposed to the same is a stud 101 extending clownwardly from the under side of the bracket 19. @rdinarily, in the use of the lifting lever 6 1 to clear small obstructions, the main frame, together with the inner end of the cutter-bar, is lifted until the lug 103 con tacts with the lug 101 and prevents the further upward movement of the main frame, after which the upward movement is necessarily confined to the finger-bar 3S and its supporting arm 60. To prevent even this limited amount of upward movement of the main frame when it is desired to raise the outer end of the cutter-bar only, I provide a foot lever 105, which is pivoted to the bracket 19 at 106, and has an arm 107 on its upper end projecting in position to be engaged by the left-hand foot of the driver when it is placed on the foot-rest 108, which is formed en the opposite side of the bracket 19 from the foot-rest 62. The 'lever 10'? has formed on and )rojecting inwardly from its lower end a wedge-shaped piece 109, which can be swung into the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 1, where it is interposed between the ends of the lugs 103 and 101 and prevents the upward movement of the main frame preliminary to the upward movement of the outer end of the cutter-bar and its supporting arm 60.

T he connections heretofore shown are so arranged that the shoe 61 rides over the ground without its angle relative to the ground being interfered with by their movement or manipulation. To tilt it to vary the height of the cut, I employ a tilting lever 110, which is pivoted at 111 to a bracket 112 extending downwardly from the tubular bearing 40. ldhis lever is provided with the customary detent 113 and the handle 11 1 connected thereto by the link 115, so that by raising the detent 113, the lever can be swung over the notched segment 116 and engaged in any desired position of adjustment. This lever is connected by a link 118 with an arm 119 projecting upward from the casting 52, so that said casting can be swung to tilt the shoe 61 and the attached cutter bar 18 to any desired extent.

lVhile I have shown and described my invention as embodied in the form which I at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understood that it is capable of modifications, and that 1 do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

What I. claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a mowing machine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels therefor, of a finger bar having a shoe on its inner end, pivotal connections between the shoe and the frame, a thrust bar connecting he frame and shoe, a lever fulcrumed on the frame and engaging the under side of the thrust bar, a tongue carried by the main frame, doubletrees, and means connecting the doubletrees and said lever whereby a portion of the draft tends to swing the lever to swing the thrust ar to lift the shoe.

2. In a mowing machine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels therefor, of a finger bar having a shoe on its inner end, pivotal connections between the shoe and the frame, a thrust bar connecting the frame and shoe, a lever fulcrumed on,

the frame and engaging the under side of the thrust bar, a tongue carried by the main frame, doubletrees, and means connecting the doubletrees and said lever whereby a portion of the draft tends to swing the lever to swing the thrust bar to lift the shoe, said means including a draft rod connected at one end to the doubletrees, a second lever fulcrumed on the frame, means connecting the draft rod and the second lever, and means connecting the two levers whereby the power applied to the second-mentioned lever is transmitted to the first-mentioned lever.

3. In a mowing machine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels therefor, of a finger bar having a shoe on its inner end, pivotal connections between the shoe and the frame, a thrust bar connecting the frame and shoe, a lever fulcrumed on the frame and engaging the under side of the thrust bar, a tongue carried by the main frame, doubletrees, and means connecting the doubletrees and said lever whereby a portion of the draft tends to swing the lever to swing the thrust bar to lift the shoe, said v the lever to swing the means including a draft rod connected at one end to the doubletrees, a second lever fulcrumed on the frame, means connecting the draft rod and the second lever, and a link connecting the two levers.

4. In a mowing machine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels there for, of a finger bar having a shoe on its inner end, pivotal connections bet veen the shoe and the frame, a thrust bar connecting the frame and shoe, a lever fulcrumed on the frame and engaging the under side of the thrust bar, a tongue carried by the main frame, doubletrees, and .ieans connecting the doubletrees and said lever whereby a portion of the draft tends to swing the lever to swing the thrust bar to lift the shoe, said means comprising a draft rod connected at one end to the doubletrees, a second lever pivoted on the frame, a helically coiled contractile spring connecting the d rod d the second lever, and connections between the two levers.

5. In a mowing machine, the combina tion with a fran e and supporting wheels therefor, of a finger-bar having a shoe on its inner end, pivotal connections between the shoe and the ame, a thrust con necting the frame and shoe, a lever fulcrumed on the frame and eng. the under side of the thrust bar, a tongue carried by the main frame, doubletrees, means connecting the doubletrees and said lever v*hereby a portion of the draft tends to swing J thrust bar lift the shoe, a draft rod connected at one (1 to the doubletrees, and a normally slack chain connecting the draft rod and the lever so that the pull of the chain tends to lift the forward end of the frame.

6. In a mowing machine, the com aination with a frame and supporting wheels t for, of a finger bar having a snoe on its in nor end, pivotal connections between the shoe and the frin e, a thrust bar connecting the frame and shoe, a lever fulcrumed on the frame and engaging the under side of the thrust bar, a tongue carried by the main frame, doubletrees, and means connecting the doubletrees and said lever whereby a portion of tile draft tends to swing the lever toswing the thrust bar to lift the shoe, said means including a draft rod connected at one end to the doubletrees, normally slack chain connecting the other end of the draft rod and the lever so that the pull of the chain tends to raise the forward end of the frame, a helieally-coiled contractile spring connecting the same end of the draft rod with a second lever fulcrmned on the main frame, a d second lever, and means connectin the first lever and the second le- Ver whereby a portion of the draft applied to the draft-rod acts through the spring and the two levers to lift the thrust bar here until the slack of the chain is taken up, after which the action is supplemented by said chain acting on the first named lever.

T in a mowing machine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels there for, of a finger-bar supporting arm pivoted thereon, a tongue supported by the frame, doubletrees suspended from the tongue, and draft means connecting the doubletrees, finger-bar supporting arm and frame, said means including a draft rod connected at one end to the doubletrees, a link pivoted on the finger-bar supporting arm to which the other end of the draft rod is connected, a lever fulcrumed on the main frame, a thrust bar cpnnecting the main frame and the finger-bar supporting arm, a second lever fUlCi'l'Lli'iQ-Cl in the main frame and having its load end engaging the under side of the thrust bar, means connecting the levers the power applied to the first is itted to the second, and means connecting the draft-rod and power-arm of the first-mentioned lever whereby the pull on the draft-rod in part serves to lift the thrust bar.

8. In a UL mowing machine, the combination a name and supporting wheels therefor of fnger-bar-supporting arm pivote a tongue supported by the frame, TlO'i-IFES suspended from the tongue, and ft means connecting the doubletrees, fur

incliiiding a draft-rod connected at s end to the doubletrees, a link pivoted on too finger-bar-supporting arm to which the emer end of the draft-rod is connected, a lo. or fulcrumed on the main frame, a thru t bar connecting the main frame and the fingei'--bar-supporting arm, a second lever fulcrumed in the main frame and having its lead end engaging the under side of the thrust bar, a link connecting the two levers ll the power applied to the first is ti ited to the second, and means connec g the draft-rod and power-arm of the firstauentioned lever whereby the pull on the draft-rod in part serves to lift the thrust bar.

9. In a mowing machine, the combination. with a frame and si'lp iiorting wheels there for, of a finger-bar-supporting arm pivoted thereon, a tongue supported by the frame, douhletrees suspended from the tongue, and draft means connecting the doubletrees, linger-bar-supporting arm and frame, said means including a drift-rod connected at one end to the doubletrees, a link pivoted on the iger-bar-supporting arm to which the other end of the draft-rod is connected, a lever i. dcrumed on the main frame, a thrust bar connecting the main frame and the finger-bar-supporting arm, a second lever fulcrum-ed in the main frame and having its load end engaging the under side of the i thrust bar, means connecting the levers whereby the power applied to the first is transmitted to the second, and a helicallycoiled contractile spring connecting the link and the power-arm of the first-mentioned lever whereby the pull on the draft-rod in part serves to lift the thrust bar.

10. In a mowing machine, the combination with av frame and supporting wheels therefor, of a finger-bar-supporting arm pivoted thereon, a tongue supported by the frame, doubletrees suspended from the tongue, and draft means connecting the doubletrees, finger-bar-supporting arm and frame, said means including a draft-rod connected at one end to the doubletrees, a link pivoted on the finger-bar-supporting arm to which the other end of the draft-rod is connected, a thrust bar connecting the frame and finger-bar-supporting arm, a lever fulcrumed on the main frame and having its load end engaging the under side of the thrust bar, and means connecting the link and the lever whereby the pull of the draftrod in part serves to lift th thrust bar.

11. In a mowing machine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels therefor, of a finger'bar-supporting arm pivoted thereon, a tongue supported by the frame, doubletrees suspended from the tongue, and draft means connecting the double-trees, finger-bar supporting arm and frame, said means including a draft-rod connected at one end to the doubletrees, a link pivoted on the linger-bar supporting arm to which the other end of the draft-rod is connected, a thrust bar connecting the frame and finger-bar supporting arm, a lever fulcrumed on the main frame and having its load end engaging the under side of the thrust bar, and a chain connecting the link and the frame whereby the pull of the draft-rod in part serves to lift the forward end of the frame.

12. In a mowing machine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels therefor, of a tongue pivoted on the frame, a finger-bar pivotally mounted on the frame, a lifting lever mounted on the tongue, means connecting the lifting lever and the finger-bar whereby by swinging the lever the finger-bar may be raised, engaging surfaces on the tongue and frame to limit the amount that the latter may be raised relative to the tongue, and means for diminishing this amount.

13. ln a mowing machine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels therefor, of a tongue pivoted on the frame, a linger-bar pivotally mounted on the frame, a lifting lever mounted on the tongue, means connecting the lifting lever and the finger-bar whereby by swinging the lever the linger-bar may be raised, engaging surfaces on the tongue and frame to limit the amount that the latter may be raised relative to the tongue, and means for diminishing this amount, consisting of a lever having a separating member adapted to be swung when desired between said engaging surfaces.

1 1. In a mowing machine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels therefor, of a finger-bar, pivotal connections between the finger-bar and frame, a doubletree, and draft means connecting the doubletree, finger-bar and frame, tending to lift the finger-bar and the forward end of the frame, said means including a spring through which the draft is applied to lift the finger-bar Without lifting the frame until said spring has yielded to a certain limit, after which the draft is also applied to the frame to lift it.

15. In mowing machine, the combination with a frame and supporting wheels therefor, of a finger-bar, pivotal connections between the finger-bar and frame, a doubletree, and draft means connecting the doubletree, finger-bar and frame, tending to lift the finger-bar and the forward end of t e frame, said means including a spring through which the draft is applied to lift the finger-bar without lifting the frame, and a normally slack chain connected to the frame to lift it when the spring has been distended sufficientlv to take up the slack.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this eighth day of November, A. D. 1918.

HARVEY L. HOPKINS. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

JOHN HOWARD McELRoY, Mmnnnn ELsNnR.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

